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Pennsylvania RNFA reimbursement bill stalled in Committee

Publish Date: 3/18/2014

In April 2013 Pennsylvania State
Senator Patricia Vance introduced Senate Bill 846, which would guarantee that registered
nurse first assistants are eligible for the same reimbursement already being
provided to other non-physician providers of surgical first assistant services.
First assistants work in collaboration with the surgeon and other health care
team members to achieve optimal patient outcomes. However, reimbursement for
first assistant at surgery services provided by registered nurses is often
denied. SB 846 defines the RNFA as a licensed registered nurse that holds an
active CNOR certification and has successfully completed an RNFA program.

Senate Bill 846 was referred to the
Banking and Insurance Committee last spring, but it has not been added to the
agenda yet. AORN is encouraging RNFAs in Pennsylvania to contact Senator Donald White, Chair of the Banking and Insurance Committee, to ask him to
put SB 846 on the agenda.